Studying the regulation of gene expression at the interface of chemistry, biology, and genomics

The information required to produce a complex organism is encoded within its genome. A lens cell of the eye and an insulin-producing pancreatic cell contain identical genomic information yet access only a subset of that information. Thus, regulated expression of specific genes, in response to various cues, is what instructs cells to adopt defined fates in an organism. Inappropriate expression of genes can give rise to diseases, including cancer and diabetes.

The broad goals of the lab are to understand the mechanistic events that culminate in the expression of specific genes, and to develop artificial transcription factors capable of regulating the expression of targeted genes. In a multidisciplinary effort, we utilize chemical, biological, biophysical, and genomic tools to address these goals.

Recent News

Conor Guest (Duke) and Sandra Kietlinska (University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne) join the lab as research interns.